WHITEHALL has demanded regular pothole-filling progress reports to ensure that more than £3.3 million of road repairs funding is well spent in Worcestershire.

Your Worcester News can reveal how the cash bonanza for potholes, the best per-kilometre handout in the entire country, has come with a strict caveat from the Department for Transport (DFT).

As a condition for the money, transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin wants regular reports from Worcestershire County Council detailing how many potholes have been permanently repaired or the length of resurfacing that has taken place to stop them forming.

The demand means the public will also get an insight into where the funds will be invested.

Back in June when the fund was first announced the DFT estimated it would help repair 63,000 Worcestershire potholes.

Rather than be deterred by the Big Brother-style tactic, the council says it is happy to oblige.

Councillor John Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: "We've got no problems publishing progress updates at all and are happy to go along with the Government's request.

"There's no secret about it, we're very open about the way we do things.

"At first I thought the money was just for filling potholes, but it can also be used to take preventative measures on roads to stop them forming in the first place.

"So we'll look at how we will be spending the money very carefully.

"We are extremely grateful for the money, our officers made a highly professional bid and it's clearly paid dividends."

Back in June the Government announced that £200 million was being handed to 148 councils across the country for pothole and road repairs.

Worcestershire was to emerge as the country's biggest winner, getting the best per-kilometre award after the Prime Minister highlighted the county's roads network as being a success.

Some local authorities, like nearby Birmingham, did not get a penny because it neglected to even make a bid.

David Cameron said the Government decided to give larger amounts to councils which already show serious commitment to the roads and have the best repair methods.

In April Worcestershire got £2.1 million towards potholes and a separate £10.9 million roads maintenance fund from central Government for 2014/15, with the fresh funding on top of that.